


Parenting Sucks Sometimes

by peoplediedrobert



Series: Parenting Sucks Sometimes [1]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-10 07:53:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peoplediedrobert/pseuds/peoplediedrobert
Summary: How Aaron and Robert navigate life with Seb





	1. Better to Laugh

**Author's Note:**

> The is a very silly series based on my experiences when my twins were small babies (or, how me and my husband almost divorced over an empty Baby Brezza). I know dad!Robron isn't for everyone and I understand but I love it.

Seb’s cry over the baby monitor is loud enough to wake the dead. Both Aaron and Robert wake with a start and turn towards each other.

“It’s your turn.”

“It’s really not.”

“Robert, I got up last time. It’s your turn.”

“It absolutely is not. I got up at 2 and fed him.”

With an exasperated huff, Aaron heaves himself out of bed while blindly looking for his clothes he’d thrown on his side of the bed (to Robert’s horror of course). Seb’s cries are getting louder—he’s clearly angry and is demanding one of his dads get out of bed rightthisinstant. Robert peeks over the blanket and bursts out laughing when he sees that Aaron has put his clothes on backwards. The look Aaron flashes him quiets the laughter instantly. Aaron stumbles into Seb’s room, picks him up and tries to comfort him. Seb’s having exactly none of it. Aaron whispers to him, “I assume you’re hungry, then. Although there’s no need to wake everyone in the village, mate. I’m right here.”

Aaron heads into the kitchen and presses the button on the Baby Brezza only to find that there’s no water in the compartment to mix with Seb’s formula. He closes his eyes and feels frustration and anger flow through him. The agreement (that Robert came up with of course) is that whoever makes a bottle last must check the water levels so someone isn’t stuck juggling a crying and hungry baby while trying to make a bottle at 4 in the morning. Feeling every bit as petulant as a child, Aaron refills the water and quickly makes the bottle. He feeds Seb, getting irrationally angrier and angrier at Robert with every passing moment. Aaron’s temper is certainly no secret, but it feels like since Seb came to live at the Mill full-time, Aaron’s patience has run even more thin. He and Robert snipe at each other more often now, something that feels wrong considering they just found their way back to one another. Aaron tiredly scrubs his face, laying his head back on the sofa but doesn’t allow himself to close his eyes, knowing if he does he’ll be asleep in an instant.

After Seb finishes his bottle and gives a satisfied burp on Aaron’s shoulder, Aaron rocks him quietly for a moment, satisfied that Seb’s back to sleep. Aaron lays him down softly in his crib, backing slowly out of the room, with a pleasegoddontwakeup mantra running through his head. He then heads straight into his and Robert’s bedroom and turns the light on. Robert bolts up immediately, blonde hair sticking in every direction. “What, Aaron?! I just got back to sleep!” “There was no water in the machine so I could make a bottle! You were the last one up with him!” Aaron can clearly see Robert has no clue what’s happening or why he’s been yelled at this early in the morning. He blinks rapidly and Aaron can see the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. “Oh shit Aaron, I’m sorry. I was half asleep.” “That’s no excuse! It was your damn idea anyway!” Aaron knows he’s being dramatic but all of the stress and the exhaustion is just seeping out of him and there’s no stopping it. The fucking dam has broken and there’s no going back. “And you left the old bottle in the sink without cleaning it out. That’s disgusting!"

“Oh so you’re going to have a go at me? Have you SEEN the state of our bathroom? That’s down to you! Every time you trim your beard, there’s hair everywhere and I swear to god you do it on purpose. How is that even possible, Aaron?” Robert’s standing beside the bed now, frantically waving his hands in the air, feeding off of Aaron’s frustration. Aaron’s at a loss to how they got from arguing about baby formula to his facial hair. 

He gapes at Robert, ready to really let it all out--dishes, laundry, baby toys all over the living room, all the little annoyances that come with being sleep deprived with a small child. Before he can however, Robert’s shoulders start to shake with laughter. It’s the kind of hysterical laughter that only new parents understand. It’s the only solution available when all you want to do is cry and rock in a corner. Aaron soon joins in, tears streaming down his face. 

“How did we become like this?” Robert asks through his laughter. “This is the most ridiculous argument we’ve ever had, and that’s saying something. It's four in the morning.” Aaron quiets down and sheepishly apologizes. “I’m sorry I woke you. I’m just tired and I know it’s not Seb’s fault but I feel so on edge all the time.” Robert puts his arms around Aaron, nodding slowly. “I think it’s normal. Seb’s young, and I think it’ll get easier when he sleeps through the night. We just have to get through it.” Aaron thinks about it for a moment and agrees, “You’re right, but I swear if you don’t put water in that damn thing next time, you’re sleeping on the sofa.”


	2. Parties and Parental Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief look at Seb's first birthday party, where Robert is a stressed out mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the last little story I did about Seb and Robron so here's another short one! *Comments about the story are welcome, negative comments about Seb are not* come chat with me on Tumblr, I'm @sugdendingleaddict

“You don’t think it’s a bit...”

“A bit what, Aaron? It’s his birthday!”

“...he’s turning a year old, Robert. This is too much.” Aaron looks around the Mill, which is filled to the brim with balloons and streamers. The theme for his party didn’t take long to figure out. Trucks had become his new obsession (or, no matter how many times they try to correct Seb, “gucks”). Seb was fascinated with any and all trucks, no matter their size or function. He laughed and pointed every time one drove by. 

Robert rolls his eyes and continues to decorate the living room. “It’s an important party and I want it to be special, end of.” Aaron’s eyes rake over the enormous pile of presents lying on the kitchen table but bites his bottom lip and lets it go—a defensive Robert is never good. The more Aaron pushes, the more Robert lashes out. From the moment they first discussed what kind of party they should have for Seb, Robert had thrown himself into planning every detail, obsessing over the cake, the presents, what photos of Seb they wanted. He had agonized over what Seb would wear (Aaron’s “Robert, just pick any flippin’ shirt with a truck on it. It doesn’t matter” was met with a solid 2 hours of the cold shoulder), what music everyone would want to hear, even which presents they should open first. 

It seemed Robert had invited the entire village into the Mill. As people continue to pile in with presents and food, Aaron notices Robert winding himself up tighter and tighter, stress lines etched on his face. He’s running around their home, constantly rearranging decorations or moving food from one surface to another. Even Chas pulls Aaron aside to ask, “What’s wrong with Robert? This is supposed to be a fun day.” Liv tries to crack jokes and tease Robert as per usual, but he is clearly distracted and gets a bit short with her. She looks for Aaron in the crowd of people and raises her eyebrows to her hairline, letting Aaron know that Robert is clearly not fine. He nods and shrugs; he knows something is bothering Robert, of course he does.

After everyone has sung “Happy Birthday” to Seb and he’s smashed cake all over himself and his high chair, Robert disappears, leaving Chas and Liv to clean up the mess. 

Aaron finds Robert sitting alone in the garden, head hanging down. Aaron slides in next to Robert and begins to rub his back, slow soft circles to help ease the tension in Robert’s shoulders. “What’s inside your head today, Robert? I haven’t seen you like this in a long time.” “I don’t know, Aaron. I constantly feel like I’m failing. I want this party to be about him. I want him to know that I love him. It always felt like Dad celebrated Andy and Vic but with me...” he trailed off, looking down and scuffing his shoes on the rocks. 

“I know. But he knows you love him. You don’t have to buy him things or throw a huge party for him to know that. You’re doing a great job. But if you keep obsessing over being a great Dad, you’re going to miss out on the fun times.”

“How do you have so much confidence, Aaron? Every day I feel like I’m doing something wrong or maybe I’m not as good a dad as I think I am. What if he grows up and resents me for something I’m doing now?”

“Well, first of all, he’s a year old. He isn’t going to remember any of this. What he will remember is that you were there for him. You were there beside him his entire childhood, loving him. He knows we both love him. You’re putting far too much pressure on yourself. Let’s go back inside and just enjoy the party.”

Robert and Aaron rejoined what had turned into a full out Dingle knees up, with Robert feeling a bit more relaxed. He picks Seb up and tosses him into the air, smiling at the giggles the erupt, and then blows raspberries on Seb’s chubby stomach. Aaron laughs and breathes a small sigh of relief that whatever dark cloud had settled over Robert earlier had faded. 

As the party winds down, Aaron sees Robert take the last slice of cake and place it in the fridge. Aaron walks up behind him, placing his hands gently on his hips, and resting his head on Robert’s shoulder. “There’s no point saving one slice. We can finish it off now.” Robert’s face pinks up as he says, “I have an idea. Something that maybe we could do with Seb every year, just to make sure his birthday is always memorable.” He looks hesitant to continue so Aaron lets it drop while they clean up the living room. Seb passes out early, exhausted from playing with his trucks and being handed around from one relative to another all evening. Liv ducks out of the cleanup, yelling something about Gabby as she runs out the door. Both Robert and Aaron fall into bed, tired but pleased with the party. 

The next morning, Aaron comes down into the kitchen to see Robert in the middle of a making a huge breakfast, complete with the last slice of cake in the middle of the table. “Bit early for that, innit?” Aaron says as he points at the cake and then waggles his fingers at Seb, who is babbling away in his high chair as Liv feeds him. Robert grins up at Aaron and explains, “this was my idea! We all share the last of the cake the next morning after every one of Seb’s birthdays. It can be something we do just for him.” Aaron can do nothing but stare at Robert as he fights the urge to cry. Robert looks a little worried as he nervously asks, “Is that ridiculous? Maybe it is.” “No, Robert, I think that’s a great idea. You’re meant to live on sugar, right?” They all divided it up, only slightly dry but still as sweet as the night prior and laughed as Seb shoved it into his mouth, clearly thankful at another go to get cake in his hair. 

Robert continued this tradition for decades, and Seb always thought it was bit odd that no one else had cake the morning after their birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I know trucks are called lorries but one of you beautiful certified British people told me that "trucks" is used too so...


End file.
